Chickens for 10-20 years or more? Pull up a rockin' chair and lay some wisdom on us!

[armorfirelady]

Ok looking for some info for winter. I have a heated dog bowl I purchased years ago. Havent even checked to see if it works still but I am guessing so.

I have spent the last few hours cruising the internet for an easy way to keep the hens water from freesing & figured here was the best way to find out.
Does anyone use the heated dog bowl? If so do you just out water in it or fill it with sand and put a waterer on top of that?

Suggestions (with pics) will be welcome.

thank you
Jenn

 

[Back2MyRoots]

I asked about coop space because my uncle (who has kept chickens for decades) came by to bring my mom some veg from his garden and walked down to my coop to check it out. After he checked it out, he came banging on my door and as soon as I opened the door, he started ranting about how I was over-crowding my birds and if I would build a bigger coop, I wouldn't have to turn them out all the time.

(a) my coop provides 11 square feet of floor space per bird. our roosts are so wide that all 8 of our birds sleep on the top rung. (God bless the babies we are raising in the brooder to go in with them!) I plan on adding 5 more birds, still leaving almost 7 square feet a bird.

(b) our run, which is only utilized when I can't be home to watch the girls (so from 4 pm to roosting time unless the hubby and I are home and then they are out all day) is 176 square feet with several roosts in the sun and a few hay bales to play on. it's a two stage run with 96 square feet roofed and 80 covered with wire only. But most of the time, the girls are milling around on just under 7 cleared acres.

(c) i WANT them "turned out" as much as possible. I'm afraid to make them 100% free-range birds---too many hunting dogs around the area come fall/winter, but if I could, I would. I love seeing them out in the yard scratching about and I love how they kill every bug in sight.... scratch that, I ADORE that they kill every bug in sight. I hate bugs.

I have the potential to expand the run and coop both, with not that much trouble or cost. Should I look into it, or am I ok on space? As, always appreciate y'all's in-put!

 

[Beekissed]

It sounds like to me that you have plenty ample space.

 

[babymakes6]

Use it by itself, or use 5 quart ice cream buckets with it. Bring a new one from the house and set it inside the bowl every time you feed. Also, if you're interested, look up the "cookie tin water heater."

 

[Back2MyRoots]

I thought so too. Now, my uncle has an old production house on his property. His birds literally never see the outdoors., but he has about 100 birds (give or take a few) in 3,600 square feet. They do have lots of space and some sky-lights, but I think it's an awfully sad existence. I do understand though, his are for making money and mine are for making me laugh!

 

[ChickChickChicky]

Ok, Bee, I know I saw this info before SOMEWHERE, but I can't find it now

. I am ready to try out the ACV and FF on my birds, and I bought a quart of the Heinz ACV with mother at Walmart (almost $4). I think you (or someone) said that you can make your own ACV with mother cheaper, either by adding ACV w/ mother to regular ACV or to apple juice from concentrate. Seems like the apple juice would be cheapest, can you go over the instructions for doing both again? Thanks.

 

[Beekissed]

The apple juice would take longer, is all. I just split the mother vinegar off into a jug and fill it the rest of the way with the regular ACV, rubber band a paper towel over the opening, place it in a dark cupboard and wait about a week. Usually has a good mother formed in it by then.

I did find a mother in a bottle of apple juice I had in my fridge the other day, which is pretty unusual in a pasteurized product..but it happens. I put some mother vinegar in it to hasten it along and it is "cooking" in a cupboard as we speak.

 

[galanie]

And, if you want to do the frozen apple juice deal, I've copied it off a message I sent someone a while back.

ETA: The simple instructions:
Mix up 2 cans of frozen apple juice ( NOT "with Calcium) in a one gallon glass or ceramic container.
Glugg in a cup or so of Braggs.
Cover with a paper towel secured with a rubber band.
Put it in your pantry and wait a month.
Done.

The long ones with more explanation:
It really doesn't take a lot of the mother type. You can glug in around a cup or more per gallon jug. Yes, do use the concentrate. Just be SURE it's not the kind "with added Calcium". It works much better than the bottled juice because of the enzymes. Which is great since the frozen is super cheap. Put it in a jar with the mother and just leave it for a month, with either a cloth or even a coffee filter or paper towel secured with a rubber band. You want it to be able to breathe yet get no bugs in it.

You can taste it with a straw from time to time if you're curious, just so long as mold does not grow. Dont' worry if it has brown "strings" in it, that is still the yeast from teh mother working. Warning: If mold does grow, throw the whole thing out. Mold will be green or red or some other odd color, not white or brown.

Another thing you might notice, is that for some reason one batch will be stronger than the next sometimes. I have PH strips and test, but for some reason one will taste way strong and still have the acidity that smoother tasting batches do. You're shooting for a PH above 4, but 3 is ok. So far, I've yet to make one that was under 3 with this method.

Make sure it stays above around 70 and below 85. It works best between 80 and 85 but I don't have central air and don't keep my kitchen at a constant temperature, yet it still works.

PS - I decided to try a batch using bottled apple juice and right now it's been cooking 2 months and still isn't ready.

 

[chickencowranch]

Question: Is it really necessary to cover the run or anything else with plastic for winter?Does anyone else plant wheat for their chickens to eat for winter?

 

[Nomibear]

I know my coop is too small for my 19 birds, and they have made their voices heard by having 4 that try to sleep in the closest tree instead. Today I finally adjusted the coop to include another 15 feet (or so) of roosting space. It was such an easy fix to add some light tree branches, I am truly ashamed of myself for waiting so long;(
P.S. There are plans to expand, just waiting on some time and money.